Fundraiser to buy RNLI new lifeboat in Nigel Farage’s name hits £300k target

Next stop, half a million!

After more than 19,000 donations, the campaign has hit its latest landmark since it was set up in July 2021 by Simon Harris, who runs the ‘Men Behaving Dadly‘ page on Facebook.

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The new vessel will unofficially be named after Nigel Farage – in a nod to the hard-line stance that the Reform leader has taken against the RNLI in recent months.

“I am trying to raise enough money to buy a new lifesaving hovercraft for the RNLI, and I would like it to be called ‘The Flying Farage’. I feel this would be incredibly appropriate, as Mr. Farage has taken such an active interest in their activities. Please give generously!” | Simon Harris

Now that the £300k mark has been reached, Harris has set his sights on the big half a million. If you want to help the fundraiser reach that milestone, you can find it here.

The fundraiser saw a slew of donations in recent days after Harris shared a horrible message scrawled over an RNLI fundraising leaflet.

On Thursday morning, Harris wrote on social media: “Dear whoever originally scribbled this horrible message all over an RNLI fundraising leaflet before mailing it back to them at their expense. After I shared your ‘artwork’ on my pages last night, more than £3,500 has been donated to The Flying Farage, so THANK YOU for everything that you’ve done. Keep on scribbling.”

Nigel Farage vs the RNLI

Their obligations to rescue migrants during dangerous boat crossings across the English Channel have irked right-leaning politicians, with Farage leading the campaign against their interventions. He has previously hit out at the RNLI, calling the a ‘taxi service’ for asylum seekers.

This heated rhetoric has been something of a double-edged sword for the organisation, who now find themselves targeted by Reform supporters and right-wing commentators. However, Farage’s high-profile criticism has also led to a surge in donations to the RNLI.

With the political debate about the RNLI’s role in these rescue missions intensifying, those looking to defend the 200-year-old institution have also stepped up their efforts.